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Indiana farmer, 1897, v. 32, no. 09 (Feb. 27)

Page 1

EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Oar Schools; Their Shortcomings-
Suggestions for Improvement.
Question 1. How can the length of the school
term ln certain country districts be increased?
1. By leg'slation.
2. Thtough the Influence and advice of the
county superintendent, by which a healthful public sentim nt could be aroused.
3. By statutory provisions by which the township trustee could, with the advice of the county
superintendent, re arrange and consolidate districts.
4 By dlmin shing the num.er of schools in certain localities and providing tome meana for
transporting the children long distances. This
has been fjund a very economical measure in some
sparsely settled districts of -lew England.
Question 2. Concerning party servitude in nominating trustees.
I am ln favor ot divorcing the school business
from the buslne is of the civil townthip. I believe
the psopie should elect three Bchool trustees or
each school township on a nonpartisan basis who
would be willing to serve for a small compensation.- • • "''".•'■.
Question 3. The elementary branches not thoroughly taught.
No remedy for this except better qualified teach
ere, who should bs required to give mare attention
to the elementary branches before taking up those
which are more advanced.
Question 4. Parents seldom visit schools.
A wise t. acher can arouse an interest in the
school on the part of the parents in very many
ways. This subject has been often discussed at
county institutes. County superintendents might
lecture in the various distiicts on this subject.
Question 5. Need ot closer supervision of district schools.
Tho county'supeiinfendent" must have more
timsin which to do his work. If the township is
bo large that he cannot get around frequently he
Blrould have an ass stant.
Question 6 Should every township support a
township high ichool? •
I ihould say no, though I am very much in favor
of township high schools, whicli shoold be encouraged and assisted in suitable localities.
J H. S.*i__.T,
Pres of lurdue.
—President Smart does not compete for a premium, but simply favors un with his opinion, as per
our request. He will please accept our thanks.
lit Premium—Undoubtedly the greatest fault of
our school system is that it fails to bring such a
large per cent of the children of school age to
schjol. There are far too many boys and girls who
never see the inside of a school-home, from the
opening of school to the close. Of the number
whose names are on the school register, far too
many are Irregular in attendance. The first class
receives no benefit from our schools, and the second clats greatly hinders the progress of theni and
receives scarcely more benefit than the flrst. In
onr country schools, a single teacher in a single
room with no other helps, aside from Ihe regular
text than a rough woe'd blackboard, a map or two
and probably a globe and a chart, must in the
short term of four or five months, in many localities, try to teach 40 or 50 scholars, ranging f rom
si_ to 21 years of age, the same branches taught in
schools of four and five rooms by four and five
teat here, with the help of all the latest appliances,
during a term of nine or ten months. Then there
is the great variety of fogy ideas—the result of the
°ld school—about schools, school teaching and
school management, which a great many unread'
backwoods patrons hold, that keeps their own
children in ignorance and also works a degenera.
ting Influence upon the school Of course the result of the partisan's work, an uneducated school
official, Is a great draw back. The fact that no one
a» smart as the teacher looks npon the work of the
school, ofttimes during an entire term, is not without its evil efTect. And not the least of the shortcomings of onr schools is the unqualified teacher.
The ma, who is a cripple, the girl who is poor, the
man of the same political faith as the trustee, the
man who would if he could and the teacher who
does the very best he can to keep up on the small
s'l»ry received and fails on account of his small
"laryjaii these are examples of the unqualified
<«ach»r. a. compulsory education law which
would bring that large per cent ont of school into
•chool, ani make that long Hat of irregnlars regn-
™*s, and thereby give the earnest teacher an opportunity to interest those uninterested, would
surely be a long step in the direction of perfection,
letter school buildings and better apparatus in
i08e localities where needed, longer terms where
er *re less than six months, and a division of
•grades where one teacher must now teach all
^•"J"'all this must come before the schools are
, ^ "ther can be made. Toe placing of good
' ' ****d K»od papers in the hands of the children
**0,e Parents do not furnikh them, would help
t*"c'*'*e ">« Parents as welt as the children, and
helni P ,he •"-h<wl ''om a quarter from which
luth i"™"""" ladl-' nee'-ed* The passage of
n »law aa will make it a requlrementfor school
officials to be educated would be a move forward
It would not be a bad plan to take the election of
school trustees and superintendents out of the
hands of the voters, and let them seenre their respective positions by virtue cf holding the best
certificates of proficiency, as do those who secure
government positions under the civil service rulesa
With such a law there would be better selections
of teachert, and better school supervision. That
the teacher might be better prepared for his duties, larger, better and freer training schools
which teachers should be encouraged to attend*
should be established; higher wages should be paid
teachers; and a strict system of grading manuscripts should be employed by the State department With movements made along the lines
herein indicated, wonld not our schools have their
short-comings greatly lessened? F. A. B.
Harrison Co.
2d Premium —Our schools are among the most
important products of modern civilization.
Though crippled by shortcomings, by defects and
dangers, yet they contain more than any other
organization, the wisdom of the past and the
hope of the future. Destroy onr schools and the
next generation would be plunged into a second
period of the Dark Ages.
What we want to appear In the Ufe of the nation, should be pnt into the schools, because they
are the nursery of citizenship. While a student
the pupil should be brought into touch with the
life of the community, the State and the nation, as
much as possible. One of the shoit-comings of
the schools, is that too often pupils pass through
the entire course and griduate from the high
school, without seeing any connection between
their school life and the life of the community
or the country. As a people we consider the edu.
cation of the coming citizens both a necessity and
an obligation. What our nation needs and what it
expects the school to accomplish, is a higher de.
gree of intelligence among all classes of citizens,
better morals end a. higher standard of patriotism. Another short-coming, is the lack of a definite aim in education.' Sometimes method ln
school work comes before the end or aim, we
should first know the end, what we hope the
scliool to reach, and then decide the method to be
used in reaching it. Our schools shonld empha*
size "per cents'* and "promotion" less, and give
more attention to the pupil's power to acquire, retain and use the world's wisdom; emphasize more
the love of home and country and lessons in kindness; kindness toman and beait Some schools
fail from too much organization, others from t:o
little.
Itis mnch easier to discover short comings in
our schools than to Buggest improvements. Perhaps the greatest improvement in the schools
would be best accomplished by enlarging the personality of the teacher Ko giddy girl cf 16 or untrained boy of 18 is fitted to teach; for in the
hands of the common BChool teach r are com-
mitted the destinies of this republic. Oh,- for
teachers who have heart and head and sympathy
to direct the pupils aright, who have in-right to
appreciate and improve their splerdid opportunity.
"The highest aim, is not alone the mind to fill,
The heart, God's grandest work, has claim,
Upon the teacher's loftiest skill."
Having found able teachers, hearty co-operation on the part of parents is necessary for the
best success. Some parents have unjustly criti
cised our schools as unfitting boys and girls for
practical life. All who think that schoiling has
little to do with getting a position and keeping it,
should remember what the master-mechanic of
the Wabash railroad system said a few years ago
He announced that no young men who had not
satisfactorily passed the eight grade in our common schools would be employed in any of the
departments ofthe company, because boys who
have a good school or collegiate education are
fitted with superior qualifications for learning a
mechanical trade, they not only learn more rapidly any of the intricate details pertaining to their
work, but are better workmen and are much less
likely to be led oft into unreasonable Btrikes.
Every school should supply more than teaching
and governing force. If there is not breathed into
the student the "soul-breath," a hunger for knowledge, an inspiration to be and to do, the school
has in a great measure failed. The highest purpose of our schools is not instruction, is not skill
in nsing knowledge, ian-LJo^flt for citizenship,
sven, but itis to make worthy ****_!n and women
who have tiie power to think, to do, to live, all the
best way. Pupi s shoul4.not be taught *o study,
merely,that they may pass, examinations with
high grades, but they should feel tint, the end of
study ls complete manhood and womanhood, and
that each branch contributes to this end. The
success of any school should be measured not by
the number of studies taught, but by the number
of| minds quickened into greater act vity. By
means cf the common school branches the soul of
the child should giow into greater truth, the eyes
see more beauty and less evil, the ears hear more
harmony and less discord; the hands toil more for
others and less for self, the tongue utter more
kind and fewer harsh words, and the heart swell
with a deeper love for God and humanity.
No State, in proportion to wealth and population has done more for education than Indiana.
There is a district school for every square mile of
erritory. May there ever be found ln our State
an army of earnest teachers, "clear-eyed apostles
of learning," who will
"Scatter in their swift advance
The darkness and the ignorance.
A school honse plant on overy hill,
Stretching in radiant nerve lines thence
The quick wires ot intelligence."
Parke Co. F-Rmkb'k Daughter.
3d Premium. To one win has closely watched
the progress of the public schools for the past
quarter of a century, and seen their rapid advance
ment from their primitive condition, when every
teacher managed his own sch'ol to suit himtalf, to
the preient time when, all the schools in the State
work in close harmony with a unirorm gradation
and excellent supervision,rt would seem thatthe
educational world Is kseptng ptce with the other
advancements of the time. "Yet. a c.ossr study re
veals to us many polnta in which the-e might be
great improvement. First, I would suggest a more
complete separation of the schools from their
present political environments. By thia I do not
mean that the tchools thenuelves arepolftlcal,but
that the township tiustee and the connty superintendent are too much at the mercy ot the political
machine for the best interests of the schools I
would favor placing the schools in charge of one
or more school trustees, whose sole duty would be
to look afie: the schools, and who should donate
their services, or work for a nominal sum. thus
taking the tchools entirely out of the handaof the
man who has charge of the roals the dogs, and
the poor. The objection to the present method of
electing a superintendent of schools is tbat no
qualifications are demanded of him, aud lt often
occurs that a county superintendent is a better
politician than a school officer. A bill now pending before the General Assembly, inmyopinim,
covers man- detects of the present system. It
was prepared by the State Board of Education,
and endorsed by ths State Teachers' Asiociatlon,
and the Association of City Fchool Superintend,
ents of the State of Indiana. It riquires the
connty superintendent to either hold a State
license or a license called a "superintendents'
licenee," itsued by the State Board, thus as-urlng
that a man be qua'ified for the position. It gives
him his office for four years, thus making him
farther removed from the p.liticians' influence.
The bill also provides for tie election of city rchool
superintendents for four years This ls an excellent feature of the bill, and cannot help but work
greatly to the advantage of city schools. It takes
a superintendent a year to get his schools organised, and it is the greatest of folly to subject his
annual employment to the whims of a board.
Another excellent feature is that it is made compulsory that every district school in the State continue not lets than six months, thus assuring a respectable school term to every pupil in the State.
Another feature of the bill I admire is that all
manuscripts of applicants for teachers' licenses
are graded by the State Board of education, and
each license ist ued is good ln any county in the
State. This will be found quite convenient for
teachers changing localities, and at the same time
add greatly to the uniform'ty of qualification
throughout the State. There are many other
minor changes suggested, all of which, I think,
would add to the efficiency of our Bchools, and I
hope to see the bill pass.
Tliere is one otlier measure, that, in my opinion,
would do more real good to tbe masses than any
otlier one thing, and that is a compulsory educational law. I am aware there are many obstae'es
in the way, such as books and clothing for the
poor, and depriving widowed mothers in some ln
stances of their only suppor*. But let every person have a rudimentary education at whatever
cost Let the State make the necessary provisions
to carry it out, even though it be binding only for
three months each year for five ycara. These are
some of the things that would greatly add to the
efficiency of our schools in the mind of
AnKx TKintER
This is a subject which appeals to me very
forcibly. Having been an instructor in the public
sohools of Indiana,! can discuss tbe subject from
personal experience.
As to the short-comings of our present system,
they are many and of various sorts. Among them
maybe cited:
1st. The Inexperience of the instructor.
2d. The lack of interest among patrons.
3d. The lack of higher privileges for pupils.
4th. Lack of government on the part of the
teacher.
5th. Irregular attendance of pupils.
6th.' Lack of enthusiaBm among teachers.
Theae are only a few of them, and yet they
cover mest of the stumbling ground in onr tchools.
Now how can these difficulties be overcome? The
folio* ing suggestions may be useful:
1st, the salary of the instructors shou*d be such
that it could be made a profession in more esses
than it is. As it is, the teacher ln the public
schools, in the majority of casea, nses the vacation only as a stepping ttone to something more
remncerative, and as aconsequence newteachera,
with no experience and no method are constantly
taking their places. Hence the work done in the
district schools Is even often unsatisfactory.
2d. Patrons shonld take more interest in their
schools. It woull materially Ihelp tha schools.
They sh-.uld know the work done in the scheol
room—work tbat is to mold tbeir children for success or failure in life. They ahou d know their in-
atructora and ute care and judgement in selecting
them. They Bhould work with the teacher in making the school a snecess, and not expect the teacher to do It all alone, and much less to expect the
teacher to improve children morally and Intellectually when they are taught tbe idea of rebellion at
home.
3d. The passage of the present pending school
law requiring trustets to furnish an opportunity
of higher education tograduates of country schools,
won d do much to secure better work in that de.
partment. Too many students have no higher
ambition in an educational way than the comp e-
tlon of the district school work. This wonld enlarge their field of amMtion. Besides it would
materially aid that class who are anxious for
higher education and do not poaaeas the meana for
procuring it.
4th. Patrons should appreciate the work done
by a truly good teacher by requesting his re-acceptation of the position. A teacher that lacks
government ln the school room should not be reinstated, because his ability in that line determines
to a great degree bis usefulness.
Sth. A compulsory scbool law would be a good
thing for cur schools. Many times parents keep
their children at home in the fall and spring, thos
spoiling their interest ln their school work, and
lessening by more than one-half the chances of a
pupil's liking his studies, npon which so much depends. The idea of a pat on's comparing the day
laborer wages which his children receive or earn
out of the school to the everlasting good which
they would there receive is a poor one.
6th. Teachers should be given the preference,
who are in love with their profession, and give'
their whole energy to the work. An Indolent instructor ls to be dlspised.
Our schools are far fronTperfect, yei as an educational State, we rank among the first in the
Nation. Upon the success of our schools depends
the success of our country, and I heartily applaud
any movement which has their improvement as
itB prime object. De.vmor K. Shake.
The general management of our district schools
is not abreast with the times. They have not, like
the city and town schools, improved their management, as experience and progress in edncation
would naturally dictate.
The town school board consists of three trustees,
while the surrounding township may have a great
many more school children enrolled, thiee or four
times as many teachers to hire and direct, yet one
trustee, with political ambi tions sufficient 13 maintain bread and meat aa his sole desire, has unlimited control. He may be a local politician whose
turn for party support demands payment for past
favors by having the pleasnre of drawing the
trustees salary. The Bchoola are at the mercy of
unprincipled men, with few ideas of education and
progress. The teachers selected are too often
members of the "machine." A teacher will obtain
a icense because he demauda a favor of the trustee, who in turn has good fonndation for asking
the superintendent to grant such license. Often
times the only qualification of a coonty superintendent is that he is a good political worker for
his connty organization.
Have three trustees with a term of office lasting
three years, so elected that a new member assnmes
the duties of oflice every year. This would check
radical changea and influences, due to party victory, and continued steady progress when once
inaugurated. This would prevent political bosses
of parties from becoming superintendents of county schools, as the electing trustees in most counties would not all belong to one political party. It
would bring grievances nearer to the people.
Introduce concrete knowledge to bring before
the pupil the more difficult and abstract. The
practical concrete problem oftentimes gives the
desired mental activity and training.
With the farmer boy the estimates for a barn,
house, capacity of cistern, crib or wagon bed; wall
papering a house, or laying out a farm, are of the
greatest interest if he is required to make them
from home observations. The parents become interested, often helping them in obtaining their
data, because they are practical problems that
they themselves have pondered over. Like problems may be chosen for the girls..
So many opportunities present themselves by
which the teacher may, throngh his pupils enlist
the interest of the parent, often giving valuable
instruction to the entire locality.
II the grading of common schools were more
rigidly enforced and educational training madea
necessary qualification for a county superintendent, and a compulsory education law passed by
our Legislature, the district schools would certainly receive great benefit. . w. B. A.
The greatest evil, and the one moat difficult of
solution in our country tchools is the amount of
work required, and vast numbers of recitations or
grades, constituting the daily grist the teacher
must grind out. Many classes have but ten minutes time Schools here average from SS to 40 pu-
Conclitdcd on Oth page.

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Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or non-for-profit purposes.

EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Oar Schools; Their Shortcomings-
Suggestions for Improvement.
Question 1. How can the length of the school
term ln certain country districts be increased?
1. By leg'slation.
2. Thtough the Influence and advice of the
county superintendent, by which a healthful public sentim nt could be aroused.
3. By statutory provisions by which the township trustee could, with the advice of the county
superintendent, re arrange and consolidate districts.
4 By dlmin shing the num.er of schools in certain localities and providing tome meana for
transporting the children long distances. This
has been fjund a very economical measure in some
sparsely settled districts of -lew England.
Question 2. Concerning party servitude in nominating trustees.
I am ln favor ot divorcing the school business
from the buslne is of the civil townthip. I believe
the psopie should elect three Bchool trustees or
each school township on a nonpartisan basis who
would be willing to serve for a small compensation.- • • "''".•'■.
Question 3. The elementary branches not thoroughly taught.
No remedy for this except better qualified teach
ere, who should bs required to give mare attention
to the elementary branches before taking up those
which are more advanced.
Question 4. Parents seldom visit schools.
A wise t. acher can arouse an interest in the
school on the part of the parents in very many
ways. This subject has been often discussed at
county institutes. County superintendents might
lecture in the various distiicts on this subject.
Question 5. Need ot closer supervision of district schools.
Tho county'supeiinfendent" must have more
timsin which to do his work. If the township is
bo large that he cannot get around frequently he
Blrould have an ass stant.
Question 6 Should every township support a
township high ichool? •
I ihould say no, though I am very much in favor
of township high schools, whicli shoold be encouraged and assisted in suitable localities.
J H. S.*i__.T,
Pres of lurdue.
—President Smart does not compete for a premium, but simply favors un with his opinion, as per
our request. He will please accept our thanks.
lit Premium—Undoubtedly the greatest fault of
our school system is that it fails to bring such a
large per cent of the children of school age to
schjol. There are far too many boys and girls who
never see the inside of a school-home, from the
opening of school to the close. Of the number
whose names are on the school register, far too
many are Irregular in attendance. The first class
receives no benefit from our schools, and the second clats greatly hinders the progress of theni and
receives scarcely more benefit than the flrst. In
onr country schools, a single teacher in a single
room with no other helps, aside from Ihe regular
text than a rough woe'd blackboard, a map or two
and probably a globe and a chart, must in the
short term of four or five months, in many localities, try to teach 40 or 50 scholars, ranging f rom
si_ to 21 years of age, the same branches taught in
schools of four and five rooms by four and five
teat here, with the help of all the latest appliances,
during a term of nine or ten months. Then there
is the great variety of fogy ideas—the result of the
°ld school—about schools, school teaching and
school management, which a great many unread'
backwoods patrons hold, that keeps their own
children in ignorance and also works a degenera.
ting Influence upon the school Of course the result of the partisan's work, an uneducated school
official, Is a great draw back. The fact that no one
a» smart as the teacher looks npon the work of the
school, ofttimes during an entire term, is not without its evil efTect. And not the least of the shortcomings of onr schools is the unqualified teacher.
The ma, who is a cripple, the girl who is poor, the
man of the same political faith as the trustee, the
man who would if he could and the teacher who
does the very best he can to keep up on the small
s'l»ry received and fails on account of his small
"laryjaii these are examples of the unqualified
« Parents as welt as the children, and
helni P ,he •"-h